By MaryHelen Swanson

Itís that time of year - no, not the holidays - tax hearing time.

Down in Center City on Dec. 2, the board room was filled with county residents. Many of them had some very profound statements to make about their taxes.

In North Branch this week, some 16 residents were on hand to speak their mind about the taxing situation.

At the county meeting, the administrator explained how the county got stiffed by the state in the last few years to the tune of $3 million.
John Moosey told those gathered that itís going to cost nearly $700,000 to house prisoners out of the county, and part of that is caused by the stateís new mandate that state prisoners serving less than a 6-month sentence must be accepted at county jails.

Moosey said if the lost money doesnít come back to the county from the state, services will have to be cut. In addition, Moosey said the county may loose more money mid-year in 2005 because of the looming $700 million state deficit.

Other county actions to deal with the loss could include lay-offs, he said. To help keep costs down, Moosey went on, many services to county residents are being put on the internet.

Jail expenses are being kept down by sending prisoners to cheaper facilities and the planned double-bunking is expected to cut costs.
A big change is expected in the coming year when the state takes over the court system. It is suppose to relieve the county of that financial responsibility, but it wonít occur until next July.

At the county level, residents wanted to know why taxes are still going up when there is so much growth in the county.
Costs have risen, Moosey said, the county has received less state aid and Health and Human Services have had a cutback in reimbursements.

The 2005 budget, Moosey said, contains no big projects, no building and no major road projects.
The county is just trying to maintain services, he said, acknowledging that the county population is growing.
That also means more people to serve, he added.

The county did see a $6 million increase in tax capacity.

Ken Anderson, a commercial property owner from Wyoming shared his woes over his tax increase. Regarding property value increases, he asked if they doubled overnight, would it cost more to plow, provide services?

He said he never heard the word cut. At some point, he said, the county is going to have to do more with less.
Harris resident Paul Carlson noted that his taxes have doubled since 1990.

A number of people at the county meeting were concerned about the tax for the Lake Improvement District, which encompasses a large portion of the southern end of the county.

Many offered the suggestion that a lock-box of sort be placed at lake accesses so others, specifically those from the cities, could help cover costs to maintain clean lakes.

One resident said he holds two jobs, one on which to live, another to pay his taxes. He said heíd be a commissioner for free to help out his fellow taxpayers.

He said the county board can do something about the tax increases every year, that they are the ones who have the power. Pretty soon, he said, everyone will end up leaving the county because they canít afford to live here.

Another big issue among citizens at the county meeting was the inequity of the taxation system. Some, it was noted, pay less than value, others way more.

Moosey said the county had been behind in appraisals for years but that extra staff have been hired to help catch up, particularly around the lakes in the southern part of the county.

Appraisal is not an exact science, said county assessor John Keefe.

A few people recognized the difficult job the board has in setting a budget and trying to keep taxes down. Taxes, said one, is such an ugly word for such a necessary expense.

The group appeared in agreement on one issue - that the state legislators should be present for the taxation hearings.

In North Branch Monday night, the council heard from a few residents. While city finance director Dave Stutelberg explained the impact on the taxpayers using a $150,000 home a example, citizen Barbara Burrington got up to say she doesnít know anyone with a $150,000 house whose valuation has not increased.

She said the city was taxing the seniors right out of their homes and theyíre fed up.

Ray Spence also noted that his taxes keep going up and he doesnít have water and sewer or even a paved road. He hoped his wife would not have to go to work to pay their taxes and he didnít want to be forced to move.

It was noted that the average home in North Branch had a 15 percent valuation increase.

City Administrator Joe Lynch reminded the group that the city has no control over the valuation of the homes - thatís the countyís thing and that is something that is handled at the board of adjustment meeting in the spring, he told them.

Some questioned the need for the new library, but were reminded that the county is paying for the new facility. It was also noted that the city had put aside money for some years to be able to handle the city costs for the new library.

The only thing of importance right now, said Steve Foss, is the bridge over I-35.

Following the public comment, the city council discussed areas where cuts could be made before the final budget is adopted which is expected at the Dec. 13 meeting.

The cuts could include reduction of the allocation for a future community center.

The budget might look a little different at the Dec. 13 meeting, but the changes are not expected to make a significant difference in individual taxes.

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